A screen assembly includes a core having an edge and first and second opposite side surfaces. A retainer, or edge treatment, is coupled to the edge of the core and extends outwardly from the core. The retainer includes first and second resilient limbs having respective edge portions defining a mouth. First and second cover portions overly the core and exterior surfaces of the retainer. The first and second cover portions wrap around the first and second limbs and are disposed through the mouth such that the edges of the first and second cover portions are retained by the limbs. Various screen supports and accessory interface members also are provided.
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1. A screen assembly comprising:
a core having an edge and first and second opposite side surfaces;
a retainer coupled to said edge of said core and extending outwardly from said core, said retainer comprising first and second resilient limbs having respective edge portions defining a mouth between said respective edge portions, said first and second resilient limbs defining an interior cavity therebetween, and said first and second resilient limbs defining respective exterior surfaces, wherein said edge portions of said first and second resilient limbs are moveable toward and away from each other between a retention configuration and an insertion configuration, wherein said first and second limbs are biased toward said retention configuration to close said mouth; and
first and second cover portions each having an edge, said first cover portion overlying said first opposite side surface of said core and said exterior surface of said first resilient limb, said second cover portion overlying said second opposite side surface of said core and said exterior surface of said second resilient limb, said first and second cover portions wrapping around said edge portions of said first and second limbs being disposed through said mouth such that said edges of said first and second cover portions are disposed in said interior cavity and the first and second cover portions directly engage one another, wherein said first and second resilient limbs retain said first and second cover portions therebetween.
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This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/792,639, filed Mar. 15, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.
The present application is directed to a screen assembly, for example and without limitations screen assemblies for use in office environments.
It is well known to use screens in different office environments, for example to partition separate workspaces, to act as sound barriers, to provide various display systems, such as marker boards, tack boards, and video screens, and/or to provide and/or increase privacy for various workspaces. Often, such screens are covered with a cover, such as a fabric, on one or both sides thereof, which may allow for customization of the appearance of the screen. The installation of such covers may be difficult, however, requiring the positioning and installation of various splines, caps, adhesives or other extraneous devices.
In addition, screens are often configured with a peripheral frame that provides a finished appearance to the screen and covers the edges of the fabric. Such frames often are difficult to install and increase the overall weight of the screen, thereby making the screens less portable or suitable for installation on desks and other locations.
Briefly stated, in one aspect, one embodiment of a screen assembly includes a core having an edge and first and second opposite side surfaces. A retainer is coupled to the edge of the core and extends outwardly from the core. The retainer includes first and second resilient limbs having respective edge portions defining a mouth. The first and second resilient limbs define an interior cavity therebetween. The first and second resilient limbs define respective exterior surfaces. The edge portions of the first and second resilient limbs are movable toward and away from each other between a retention configuration and an insertion configuration, wherein the first and second limbs are biased toward the retention configuration. First and second cover portions each have an edge, with the first cover portion overlying the first side of the core and the exterior surface of the first resilient limb, and with the second cover portion overlying the second side of the core and the exterior surface of the second resilient limb. The first and second cover portions wrap around the edge portions of the first and second limbs and are disposed through the mouth such that the edges of the first and second cover portions are disposed in the interior cavity. The first and second resilient limbs retain the first and second cover portions therebetween.
In another aspect, one embodiment of a screen assembly includes a core having a bottom edge and first and second opposite side surfaces, and an edge treatment connected to the bottom edge of the core and extending downwardly from the core. The edge treatment includes opposing first and second limbs defining opposite first and second exterior surfaces. A first cover portion overlies the first side of the core and the first exterior surface of the edge treatment. A second cover portion overlies the second side of the core and the second exterior surface of the edge treatment. The first and second cover portions are held by the first and second limbs. A screen support includes an insert portion extending upwardly between the first and second limbs.
In yet another embodiment, a screen assembly includes a core having an edge and first and second opposite side surfaces, and an edge treatment connected to the edge of the core and extending outwardly from the core. The edge treatment includes opposing first and second limbs defining opposite first and second exterior surfaces and a mouth therebetween. A first cover portion overlies the first side of the core and the first exterior surface of the edge treatment. A second cover portion overlies the second side of the core and the second exterior surface of the edge treatment. The first and second cover portions are held by the first and second limbs. An accessory interface member has an insert portion disposed through the mouth between the first and second cover portions.
The various aspects and embodiments of the screen assembly provide significant advantages over other screen assemblies. For example and without limitation, in one embodiment, the cover can be easily and quickly installed without any extraneous fastening devices, for example splines, covers, etc. Moreover, once installed, the cover provides a continuous and uniform exterior appearance to the screen. In addition, the screen can be made relatively light weight, thereby increasing its portability. At the same time, the screen support can be easily and quickly installed to support the screen without the requirement for additional fasteners and/or connection devices. Likewise, various accessories, including without limitation, screen overlays, document holders, storage devices and the like, can be easily installed and supported by the screen at any location along a length thereof without the need for additional fasteners and/or connection devices.
The present embodiments of the invention, together with further objects and advantages, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
The terms “top,” “upper,” “bottom” and “lower” are intended to indicate directions when viewing a screen when positioned for use. It should be understood that the term “plurality,” as used herein, means two or more. The term “coupled” means connected to or engaged with, whether directly or indirectly, for example with an intervening member, and does not require the engagement to be fixed or permanent, although it may be fixed or permanent. The term “transverse” means extending across an axis, including without limitation substantially perpendicular to an axis. It should be understood that the use of numerical terms “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., as used herein does not refer to any particular sequence or order of components; for example “first” and “second” portions may refer to any sequence of such portions, and is not limited to the first and second portions of a particular configuration unless otherwise specified.
Screen Assembly
Referring to
At least a portion of the peripheral edge, and in one embodiment, the entirety peripheral length of the edge, includes openings 14, 16 extending inwardly therefrom. The openings may be continuous, or spaced apart. In one embodiment, the openings are configured as first and second channels 14, 16 centered in the edge. The channels are nominally centered, but with thickness variances due for example to tolerance allowances, the channels may shift slightly off-center. In other situations, the grooves may be positioned closer to one side or the other as desired. The first channel 14 opens outwardly toward the edge 6 and has a first width. The edge defines a pair of landings 18 on each side of the channel. The second channel 16 extends inwardly from a bottom of the first channel 14 and has a second width, with the second width being less than the first width. In various embodiments, the core 4 is substantially planar, although it should be understood that the core may have a non-planar shape, for example being curved about one or more virtual vertical axes.
Referring to
The retainer, whether a linear member, a curved member or a corner member, includes first and second resilient limbs 30, 32 having respective edge portions 36, 38 defining a mouth 34, which may be closed, or form a slight gap, when in a retention configuration. The first and second resilient limbs 30, 32 define the interior cavity 28 therebetween. The first and second resilient limbs define respective exterior surfaces 40, 42. As shown in
The first and second limbs 30, 32 each have gripping members 44 extending inwardly into the interior cavity. The gripping members engage first and second cover portions 46, 48, e.g., fabric layers, inserted into the interior cavity 28 respectively. The gripping members 44 are oriented to provide one-way engagement of the cover portions 46, 48, such that the gripping members are configured to permit insertion of cover portions into the interior cavity, but prevent removal of the cover portions from the interior cavity. The gripping members may be configured as hooks, barbs, nodules, or other suitable protuberances. In one embodiment shown in
As shown in
Referring to
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Screen Supports, Connectors and Accessories
Referring to
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In an alternative embodiment, shown in
In another embodiment, shown in
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Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. As such, it is intended that the foregoing detailed description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting and that it is the appended claims, including all equivalents thereof, which are intended to define the scope of the invention.
Behar, Yves, Li, Qin, Alexander, Brian, Chang, Diana, Murphy-Reinhertz, Noah, Edahiro, Naoya, Lewis, Casey Doran, Bhagwat, Adwait, Katje, Michael J., Book, Jeffrey A., Castro, Jr., Elindo G., Carrillo, Noel, Dral, Joel R., Krohn, Bronwyn L., LaMore, Eileen M., Matthai, John T., Moroney, John
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Mar 14 2014 | Herman Miller, Inc. | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / | |||
Jul 02 2014 | KATJE, MICHAEL J | HERMAN MILLER, INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 033477 | /0742 | |
Jul 07 2014 | ALEXANDER, BRIAN | HERMAN MILLER, INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 033477 | /0742 | |
Jul 08 2014 | CASTRO, ELINDO G , JR | HERMAN MILLER, INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 033477 | /0742 | |
Jul 09 2014 | LAMORE, EILEEN M | HERMAN MILLER, INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 033477 | /0742 | |
Jul 10 2014 | CARRILLO, NOEL | HERMAN MILLER, INC | ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 033477 | /0742 | |
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